In early 2025, the global spirit of the International Association of Online Engineering (IAOE) was on full display as three of its members came together in Rosario, Argentina, for a series of academic visits and collaborative activities. These exchanges reflect the strength of the IAOE network in enabling meaningful professional relationships and advancing remote engineering education across borders.
Following their participation in the STE2025 Conference in Santiago, Chile, Prof. Andrea Schwandt (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Germany) and Prof. María Arcelina Marques (Porto Polytechnic Institute, Portugal) each traveled to Rosario to visit fellow IAOE Executive Committee member Prof. María Isabel Pozzo. During their respective stays, they engaged with students, researchers, and faculty members at leading academic institutions in the city, delivering lectures, exchanging ideas, and exploring local laboratory initiatives.
Prof. Schwandt visited Rosario from March 26–28, where she delivered talks at both the National Technological University and the National University of Rosario. Her presentations focused on the implementation of remote laboratories in the German higher education context, particularly at her home institution. Her insights were warmly received by local students and staff, who expressed strong interest in the educational potential of online labs. Schwandt also visited the local branch of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), engaging in discussions about research collaboration and international perspectives in engineering education. Her connection with Prof. Pozzo dates back to the REV 2023 Conference in Greece, where a chance meeting sparked what has since become a close professional and personal partnership.
Just a few weeks later, on April 14–15, Prof. Marques continued this spirit of exchange with a visit of her own. During her stay, she gave invited lectures at two different faculties of the National University of Rosario: Engineering and Humanities. Her talks introduced remote laboratory practices developed at Porto Polytechnic and emphasized their role in fostering inquiry-based learning. She also visited the National Technological University, where she had the opportunity to meet with local colleagues working with VISIR—an open remote lab platform she helped disseminate through the European Erasmus+ project VISIR+. It was through this very project that Prof. Marques and Prof. Pozzo originally met, and their collaboration has since continued through their shared involvement in IAOE leadership.
Together, these visits illustrate how personal connection, shared vision, and global mobility can activate the IAOE network in impactful ways. Whether through European partnerships or South American outreach, these encounters demonstrate how IAOE members continue to lead in creating inclusive, hands-on, and collaborative approaches to engineering education worldwide.
